I was originally planning on making an oriental ramen salad but realized I'm almost all out of oil and there really isn't any substitute for it in this recipe. Since I didn't want to go to the store I had to completely change shifts and find something new to cook. So I did what I always do when my original idea doesn't go as planned, stare in my cupboard and fridge. Just sit, and hope that something jumps out at me. It always reminds me of being young and my Dad yelling at me to close the fridge door. Dinner wasn't going to jump out at me. Well in this case it kinda did. I went back and forth with a few ideas and ended up with this. The only good word I could come up with to name this dish was goulash. I realize this really isn't a goulash, but gosh darnit I made it so I get to name it.
It turned out better than I even imagined! I wasn't sure how it was going to turn out and just figured it would be another last minute, I'm starving, just okay on the awesome radar dish. Well I was wrong. I will probably make this again and again. It was really easy to prepare and cook. You do have to turn on your stove top but it didn't have to cook for very long.
I'm not a huge fan of zucchini and squash (the little round veggie is a green squash). So typically when I see recipes using them I don't even bother giving them a chance. Please don't be like me and try this one out. I think it will change your mind. Granted the zucchini and squash came fresh from the farm in Clarksburg, so I would recommend getting some fresh. I'm convinced they taste better than grocery store veggies. The onion came from my Dad's garden. The only thing not fresh were the tomatoes. If I had some handy I would have used them instead. Here's the recipe for all y'all to give it a shot.
Cooked pasta (any shape would do. I would stay away from spaghetti though. You want something that will hold the "sauce". I used shells and they were perfect)
1/2 Tablespoon of vegan butter
1/2 onion roughly chopped
3/4 zucchini roughly chopped (I cut into slices then cut the slices into fourths)
1/2 green round squash (I chopped the same as the zucchini)
1 can of chopped tomatoes, drained
*Pesto*
2 Tablespoons of walnuts (or pine nuts)
2 Tablespoons of olive oil
1-2 Cloves garlic
salt and vegan parma to taste
10-12 leaves of basil. I used thai basil because that is what I have growing on my porch
Note: Since I used thai basil, the leaves are a lot smaller then regular basil. My pesto didn't look .
much like pesto since it wasn't very green but that's okay
1. I cook my pasta in the pasta boat, so I started that in the microwave while I made the sauce.
2. Chop your veggies while you melt the butter in a pot. You can use olive oil as a sub for the butter but I was short on oil, so I used what I had.
3. Once the butter is melted add the onions and cook until translucent
4. Meanwhile open your can of tomatoes and drain the juice. I didn't want to make a spaghetti sauce, so I just wanted chunks. A little juice is okay, just not the whole can.
5. Once the onions are done add the tomatoes, zucchini and squash to the pot. Cook down for a few minutes.
6. While that is cooking put all of the pesto ingredients into a food processor. Once everything is highly processed and resembles a paste add it into the tomatoe veggie mixture in your pot.
7. Cook for a few more minutes, brining the mixture to a slight boil. I added a few dashes of red pepper flakes for some heat, feel free to omit if you don't want any spice.
8. Once done your pasta should be cooked. Remove from heat and add salt to taste. In my opinion it will need some but not a ton so take it slow and taste it before you go overboard. Because of the pesto it can get a little salty.
9. Mix your pasta with sauce in everyone's bowl and top with vegan parma! DELISH!
Note: Feel free to double the recipe. I wasn't sure how it was going to turn out and figured it would just be me eating it. Next time I'll probably make more and adjust some of the measurements. It's still a work in progress.
Just for fun here's a photo of some beautiful Dahila's from my parents garden. LOVE!
Laissez Les Bon Temps Rouler!
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